Briefs/national

BRIEFS/NATIONAL

August 04, 2012

GOLF

Furyk hot, Woods not

Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods each carried momentum into Friday's second round of the Bridgestone Invitational. That meant the best 36-hole score for Furyk in his PGA Tour career, and the worst start for Woods in nearly fourth months.

Furyk had another good day with the putter, making a few birdies early and saving par from the bunker four times on the back nine at Firestone for a 4-under 66 and a two-shot lead over Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain.

It helped that Furyk opened with a 63 on Thursday afternoon, allowing him to turn around Friday morning and try to resume his good play. That's what he did, starting with a tricky birdie putt on the second hole and following his lone bogey with a 20-foot birdie on the ninth.

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Woods, a seven-time winner at Firestone, can't seem to get anything going.

He threw away three shots on the back nine Thursday, the last one a three-putt on the 18th hole for a 70. He started his second round by driving into a bunker and making a bogey on the 10th hole, and it never got much better. For the second straight day, he had to lay up with his third shot on the par-5 16th. And the low point of his putting woes came on the seventh hole, when he stuffed his tee shot inside 5 feet and three-putted for bogey.

"I hit it good, made nothing," Woods said.

Morgan shoots his age

Sixty-five-year-old Gil Morgan shot his age Friday for a share of the first-round lead in the Champions Tour's 3M Championship.

Joel Edwards, Tom Jenkins and Mark McNulty were a stroke back. Past event champions David Frost, Bernhard Langer and D.A. Weibring were at 67 along with Joe Daley, Jeff Hart and Willie Wood.

On an ideal sunny day with a slight breeze, Morgan had seven birdies in his bogey-free round. He won the last of his 25 Champions Tour titles in 2007 at Pebble Beach.

Morgan, fighting injuries and inconsistency this season, has only one top-25 finish in 11 starts this year and five in his last 27 events. In his last 75 tournaments dating to 2008, his best finish is third.

Morgan said he struck the ball well, but missed four putts in the 6- to 10-foot range, while making a handful of long ones, including a 40-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Paternos plan appeal

Joe Paterno's family said it planned to appeal the sanctions imposed by the NCAA against Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The governing body's response: Don't bother.

Family lawyer Wick Sollers in a letter sent Friday to the NCAA said the Paternos would like to appeal the "enormous damage" done to Penn State, the community, athletes and the late Hall of Fame coach. He died in January at age 85.

But the NCAA quickly rejected their plan. "The Penn State sanctions are not subject to appeal," spokesman Bob Williams said.

PRO FOOTBALL

Payton at Hall induction

Suspended New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will be attending the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday night.

Payton requested and was given permission by the NFL to attend the ceremony that includes the enshrinement of former Saints player Willie Roaf.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday that Payton also can be at a private reception for Roaf, but cannot be with the Saints.